UVF brothers to turn 'supergrass' in 10-year-old murder case

For the first time in two decades a new "supergrass" trial will be held in Northern Ireland this week involving two loyalists, one of whom is a social worker.

The two brothers will appear at Belfast crown court on Friday. The trial, which will be similar to the controversial supergrass cases of the 1980s, comes as the largest loyalist terror movement, the Ulster Defence Association, moves closer to disarmament. Loyalist sources have told the Observer that the UDA began to hand over its weapons last week.

The UDA has one month left before the British government's latest deadline for disarmament. Northern Ireland junior minister Jeffrey Donaldson last night called on the UDA to meet the deadline. The Democratic Unionist MP confirmed that the party has continued meeting the terror group's leadership as part of the process towards decommissioning.

But the court case this Friday will cause problems for the other loyalist terror group which has already fully disarmed – the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Self-confessed UVF members Ian and Robert Stewart are to give evidence against nine men accused of UVF membership, shootings and hijackings in the south-east Antrim area.

The brothers have admitted aiding and abetting in the October 2000 murder of UDA man Tommy English during an intra-loyalist feud. However, it is understood they will not face a lengthy jail sentence because they are co-operating with the Historical Enquiries Team. The HET investigates unsolved crimes from Northern Ireland's Troubles.

The Stewart brothers' testimony will have echoes of the supergrass trials of more than 20 ago. At the height of the trials, between 1982 and 1985, 25 men turned Queen's Evidence, putting more than 600 suspects behind bars for dozens of murders.

However, the supergrass system collapsed at the end of 1985 and many convictions were later overturned. Human rights organisations denounced the system as an abuse of the legal process.

The Observer has learned that the Stewarts walked into Antrim police station in 2008 and admitted their role in the English murder as well as other UVF activities. Within weeks it was decided to charge them with the murder after they agreed to give evidence against other UVF members, mainly from the Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast.

In August 2008, Ian Stewart, 39, from Ballyearl Crescent, and Robert Stewart, 35, of Carntall Rise, both in Newtownabbey, appeared at Belfast magistrates court charged with the Tommy English murder.

Social worker Ian Stewart was also accused of being a UVF member since 1996. His younger brother Robert was accused of being a UVF member since 1994.

Five months later, HET detectives charged former Mount Vernon UVF commander Mark Haddock with the English murder. A further eight men – Darren Moore, Ronald Bowe, Philip Laffin, Samuel Higgins, John Bond, David 'Reggie' Miller, Jason Loughlin and Alexander Wood – also appeared in court charged with the English murder.

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